"For
whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
(1 Corinthians 11:26)

It is regrettable that what Christ made so simple
and enjoyable man has made into something complicated
and stressful. What a blessing it is to sit at the
Table of the Lord with His brethren and proclaim His
death! The symbols of the bread and cup speak so powerfully
to our minds that the Word preached is enforced and
made more effective in our hearts. We go away from
the Table more refreshed and strengthened than at
any other time. At the Table, there is no magical
change of the elements, but there is a spiritual force
in the symbols we may not find anywhere else. Our
Lord did not establish His Table for nothing! This
is the Table of the Lord, and we should not be surprised
that the Spirit uses this as one of the things of
Christ by which He ministers the gospel of Christ
to us. To miss the Table is to miss much.

But, man is ever ready to pollute and destroy what
Christ has ordained for our good. The Table of the
Lord has been corrupted into a mere ceremony, encrusted
with human tradition and rules to such a degree it
is almost impossible for men to participate in it
to any good. If there is no argument over the elements
used, there will doubtless be an argument over who
should participate. All is answered by the question,
“Why do we observe the Lord’s Table? What
is its purpose?” The answer is given in plain
language: to proclaim the Lord’s death. All
else bows to that.

What should be used to do that? Broken bread to illustrate
His body broken for sin, and the juice of the vine
squeezed out to symbolize the pouring out of His soul
unto death.

Who should participate? All those who desire to show
forth the death of the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s
Table is not an opportunity to show forth any worthiness
on our part. THE LORD’S TABLE IS NOT A CONFESSION
OF OURSELVES, BUT OF CHRIST; NOT OF WHO WE ARE OR
WHAT WE HAVE DONE, BUT WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE.
So let us be done with the outward show of pious humility
or self-righteous worthiness and happily come to His
Table!

“Ah, but I do not feel worthy enough to come,”
says one. And I hope you never do. There is only one
Worthy One at the table of the Lord, the Host, Himself;
and He invites sinners to His Table. It is not our
worthiness but His that set the table and gives us
a warrant to be there. The Worthy One has spread His
feast and called us: we do well not to ignore His
invitation.

“But I am not member of your church.”
This is not the Table of the Church, but the Table
of the Lord. If you are His, then you have a seat
at His Table. Sit down; we’re glad you’re
here!

“But I am not sure I believe.” Do you
believe that you are a sinner? Do you believe that
Jesus Christ is a sufficient Savior for sinners? Have
you called on the name of the Lord according to the
promise of God that all who do so shall be saved?
What is left to believe? Once again, the Table is
not about you, it is about Christ.